1. Field
Compositions and methods for affecting obesity and obesity related conditions.
2. Background
Obesity generally refers to a condition in which there is an excess accumulation of body fat resulting in an increased body weight and body fat percentage. Obesity has been recognized as a chronic metabolic disorder associated with numerous other maladies. For example, obesity is associated with increased instances of complications such as hypertension, type 2 diabetes, arteriosclerosis, dyslipidemia, certain forms of cancer, sleep apnea, and osteoarthritis.
The causes of obesity are not well understood on a biochemical level, but chronic positive energy balance, a state in which caloric consumption exceeds caloric expenditure, leads to the accumulation of body fat. Methods for treating and managing obesity have therefore been directed towards decreasing food consumption and increasing energy expenditure. Identifying, characterizing, and developing chemical agents for these purposes gained much momentum after the discovery of leptin, a 16 kilodalton (kDa) protein hormone that plays a key role in regulating energy intake and energy expenditure by decreasing appetite and increasing metabolism. Since a relatively small percentage of human obesity is due to leptin deficiency, alternative biochemical approaches have been the subject of intense research. Unfortunately, many, if not all, of the drugs that have been identified tend to induce undesirable side effects such as dry mouth; anorexia; constipation; insomnia; dizziness; nausea; and, in the case of the medication fenfluramine or dexfenfluramine and phentermine (Fen-Phen), heart-valve complications that can lead to death.